OPERATION ALL THE SINGLE TOMATOES
by Matchmakingdove1028
Summary: Nyo Spamano Week 2017 Day 2 - Party/Festival (Highschool AU); Here's a fun game to play: How many times does Isabel have to fail before finally asking Lovina to the dance?


Isabel walked up the front steps of school, notebook in hand as she blindly reached for the front door's handles. Busy trying to absorb as much biology notes as she could, she grasped the handle and pushed it forward, only to belatedly realize that the door was locked and that her arm was bending in on her.

Three, two, one, touchdown.

Isabel Fernandez Carriedo has official just crashed into the school's front doors.

Laughter from behind the girl made her sigh as she moved her hand to the other handle, pushing forward and ignoring the calls from behind.

"Isabel! Isa!" A slightly scratchy voice said before an arm latched around her shoulders. Isabel huffed.

"What is it Julchen?" She asked and Julchen's red eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Aww, are you annoyed Isabel?" She asked before playfully jostling Isabel around the shoulders.

"You know I don't really mean it. You've been such a mess around Lovina lately your clumsiness has mixed with your actual life." Julchen snickered.

Isabel pouted.

"That ain't cool man." She said and Julchen got off, shrugging all the while.

"If you say so, but Marianne still finds how you haven't asked her out cute." Isabel gave Julchen an unamused stare.

"Asked who out?" A voice asked and Isabel's entire world cracked in half.

"Lovina!" Julchen exclaimed, blinking in surprise as the Italian walked up to them. She watched the girl bid her sister goodbye before turning to the Prussian and raising a brow.

Julchen's mouth stretched into a sly grin.

"You know, _her_." She replied vaguely and Lovina raised a brow before rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." Lovina said before she noticed the notebook in Isabel's hand.

"Wait, we have a test in bio?" She asked, her head snapping up to Isabel's

"Uh-" "Yeah, you forgot?" Julchen butt in, giving Lovina a questioning look.

"Merda!" Lovina exclaimed before she zoomed to the classroom, leaving the other two behind.

Isabel was half thankful and half annoyed Julchen had replied for her. But that could wait, and the test (or rather the _teacher_ ) would not.

Isabel went back to focusing on her notes before she realized something.

"Wait, you knew about the test?" Isabel asked and Julchen raised both her eyebrows in surprise this time.

"You too?" "What do you mean 'you too' how many people have you said that to?" "Has everyone really forgotten about the test? How can you people live?"

Isabel stared at the girl in disbelief.

"How do _you_ live?" "I keep a planner and I studied last night!"

Isabel groaned and playfully rolled her eyes, nudging Julchen as she did.

"Always studious huh? What, is that a part of your awesome Prussian blood too?" She joked and Julchen puffed her chest out in pride, huffing.

"Of course! The Prussians were mighty warriors! They.." Isabel sighed as Julchen suddenly started her nerdy rant about history, particularly Prussia. History nerd.

"Hey, hey, shut your clam, you might forget what you studied last night." Isabel teased and Julchen immediately shut up.

"I should review too." The girl said before she waved at Isabel and went ahead.

Isabel watched her friend go with a smile before shaking her head.

She has to get her head in the game to pass this test.

-...-

"Please pass your papers."

Multiple groans and sighs of relief erupted in the classroom as the test finally ended.

Isabel stretched her arms behind her chair to release their cramped position before turning to look at Julchen.

The girl looked confident and it wasn't a surprise. When the entire class had reviewed Julchen was able to answer the questions quickly and correctly.

Fondly muttering a 'nerd' under her breath, Isabel then turned to look a few seats ahead of her at Lovina.

The Italian seemed a bit annoyed, probably mad that she could've gotten some other questions right, and Isabel smiled at the sight.

Her love was simply adorable.

The papers were soon passed and the bell rang, signaling the start of snack time as students steadily filtered out of the room for the canteen.

"Yo Isabel, how do you think you did on the test?" Julchen asked as she approached the Spaniard's table with a confident grin.

"About as well as you could possibly do with limited time studying." Isabel replied, shaking her head at the pride that practically emanated from Julchen's being.

Isabel gathered her things and put it back in her bag, listening to Julchen talk as they strolled out the door.

"I just feel really confident about this one, you know? I studied pretty well this time." Julchen said before laughing. "I could help you study next time, too."

"Gracias, I think I'll take you up on that offer." Isabel replied before she saw a familiar head of blonde hair.

"Marianne!" Seemed Julchen noticed her the same time Isabel did.

Marianne turned around, a curious look on her face. That look soon turned into a smile (smirk?) when she saw who had called her.

"Mon ami Julchen! Isabel! Comment Ça'va?" She asked as soon as the two other girls caught up to her.

"Bien, e tu?" Isabel replied and Marianne faked wiping a tear, sniffing daintily.

"Biology test today, first period."

Isabel's eyes widened as she pretended she was about to cry, lip trembling as she took Marianne's hand between her own and shaking it.

" _God bless you_."

" _Thank you_."

"Man, you two are a bunch of drama queens! Don't any of you take notes of when tests are?" Julchen suddenly exclaimed, turning a disbelieving look to both Isabel and Marianne.

"I do, its just that I don't normally look in my notebook." Marianne replied and Julchen turned to Isabel.

"Isabel?" Julchen raised a brow. Isabel looked away, a sheepish look on her face.

"Class chatroom." Julchen sighed and rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up as if Isabel was a lost case.

"Why don't you just set a reminder for yourself on that day? Use your phone." Julchen suggested and Isabel's eyes widened in realization.

"You're right! I can, can't I?" Julchen and Marianne shook their heads as Isabel took her phone out, most likely to make a reminders list for tests.

Isabel was still typing in reminders when the group reached the cafeteria doors and even as they reached their usual table.

"Yo Isa, you gonna unstick yourself from your phone anytime soon?" Julchen asked, raising a brow at the Spanish girl.

Isabel appeared busy, looking up and mumbling things under her breath as she counted things off her fingers.

"Want us to just get it for you?" Marianne asked and Isabel nodded, momentarily pausing to reach into her bag and give her money to Marianne.

"Usual, right?" Julchen asked and Isabel nodded once again though she was back to recalling reminders on her phone.

The two girls soon left Isabel alone to grab food and the Spaniard barely noticed. She had just reached a mental block when her concentration broke at the sound of Felicia's voice.

Where Felicia was Lovina was soon to follow! Right?

"Ve, Lovina!" A loud thump followed by loud cursing.

Ah, seems like Lovina had just gotten her daily dose of Felicia Hugs™.

Isabel turned around just in time to see Lovina pinch Felicia's cheek and watch as Felicia whined in response.

-...-

"What have I said about suddenly hugging me? Idiota!"

"Ehh, you only care this time cause you fell sorella!"

Lovina huffed but released Felicia's cheek and got back up, Felicia jumping up soon after.

"So? You don't usually approach your sister during snack time, you spend it with a potato." Felicia frowned at the name but Lovina moved on. "What do you want Feli?"

"Well I wanted to ask if you had…" Felicia's voice lowered towards the end of the sentence, shiftily moving her eyes around before leaning in and cupping her hands around Lovina's ear.

Whatever Felicia whispered to Lovina was, it must've been pretty serious to get her to blush that much.

Felicia took it as a response and sighed, leaning an arm on her (shorter) sister's shoulder.

"How do you expect anything to be done when you haven't done anything Lovina?" Lovina shot Felicia a light glare, though it seemed to be directed up..?

"I'm doing things in my own time, I'm still thinking." Lovina replied and Felicia shook her head.

"If you say so." Felicia said before her eyes caught Isabel's. Felicia smiled and waved, catching Lovina's attention.

"Who are you waving to?" Lovina asked and Felicia only motioned her head in the direction she was waving.

Lovina moved her head to the direction Felicia was facing and was momentarily stunned when her eyes connected with bright green ones.

Isabel immediately brightened up and waved, a big smile on her face.

Felicia leered at Lovina's expression and smirked. Lovina scowled in response.

"Come on." Lovina grumbled before dragging Felicia away.

-...-

Isabel frowned when the Italian sisters walked away but her attention was brought back to the table when she heard the sound of a plastic tray sliding across more plastic.

"Who were you watching?" Julchen asked, staring in the same direction Isabel had been looking at before sitting down.

"Lovina and Felicia had a moment just a while ago, you missed it." Isabel answered and Julchen nodded her head.

"Speaking of," Marianne started. "Have you tried asking Lovina out yet?"

Isabel groaned weakly while Julchen snickered.

"Why is that the only thing people have been asking me?" Isabel complained.

"Mon cher, the dance was announced three weeks ago. The dance is next week, which, may I remind you, is one of the last days of school. How many times have you tried to ask but backed out last minute?"

Isabel pointedly ignored Marianne's stare. Julchen whistled low as she looked between Isabel and Marianne.

"Alright, we need an intervention. I think its time for the Bad Friends Trio to get back into action." Julchen said and Marianne sighed.

"I think so too." She agreed and they both looked at Isabel.

"I think so too." Isabel sighed and looked up to the others.

"Bad Friends Trio, meeting at my house after school." Julchen declared and the other two nodded. "Right."

-...-

"Mika!" Julchen called and a taller, blonde woman stopped in her tracks.

"What is it Jule?" Monika sighed and Julchen frowned.

"Hey, is that how you greet your awesome big sister?" Julchen asked but continued. "Anyway, when are you coming home? Cause the BFT will be over."

Monika mourned the loss of a quiet night.

"Have you told mutti?" Monika asker and Julchen nodded. "I'll be home late, Feli wants me for something." She said with a sigh.

Without even looking, Monika said, "Julia Maria Beilschmidt wipe that look off your face."

Julchen pouted but conceded.

"Alright, but that's not the last you've heard of this conversation. Auf wiedersehen." Julchen waved her hand and Monika waved back, watching Julchen turn and walk away.

"Auf wiedersehen."

-...-

"Where have you been?" Marianne asked as soon as Julchen had reached them. She and Isabel had been waiting by the school doors for some time.

"I was with Mika, we can go now though." Julchen replied and Marianne nodded.

The trio walked out and followed the familiar road to the Beilschmidt house, talking about anything that came to mind. The group was used to going to Julchen's house but the meeting place always revolved.

It didn't take long before the girls reached the house and Julchen ran ahead to unlock the door. The moment they had neared the house the dogs started barking and Julchen opened the door.

"We're home~" Julchen called, kneeling down with arms wide open just as the dogs pounced.

Isabel and Marianne walked in, ignoring Julchen who had been obscured by the big dogs they owned.

Blackie, the german shepherd, trotted over to Isabel and nudged her hand, prompting the Spaniard to smile and rub the dogs' head. Berlitz, the golden retriever, soon followed, sniffing Marianne curiously while the French woman gently nudged the dog away.

"Alright, advance to my room!" Julchen suddenly exclaimed, popping in besides the two and ignoring the disgusted looks on their faces.

"Julia cher, you have dog slobber everywhere." Marianne pointed out and Julchen blinked before looking down. The Prussian shrugged before motioning the two upstairs, walking to the meeting place- her room.

"You two sit around and stuff, I'll be in the bathroom." Julchen said before walking into the bathroom, leaving Isabel and Marianne to do whatever in her room.

"Lo siento, goodbye." Isabel whispered to Blackie who nudged his nose in- wanting to join- but closed the door. Marianne walked in and propped the white board Julchen kept in the room for meetings on a chair, gathering the markers and placing them by the side table.

A while passed before Julchen finally left the bathroom and the meeting could start.

"Alright ladies," Julchen began, uncapping a marker and writing 'OPERATION DOUBLE TOMATO' at the top of the board. "Any suggestions we need to discuss before we plan any ideas?" Marianne lazily lifted a hand.

"Marianne." Julchen called.

"For the ideas, I suggest we keep them few. I'd rather shoot for quality than quantity." Julchen nodded before turning to Isabel.

"Isabel?" "Seems fair."

"Anymore suggestions?"

Silence.

"Alright, let's start this strategy meeting."

"Nerd…"

* * *

 **Commencing Operation…**

 **•** **Operation A: Locker Shocker**

•Tuesday, Lockers

Isabel strolled past the lockers and stopped by hers, inserting the code and reaching in to arrange the books.

So maybe it was obvious Isabel was stalling. Maybe it wasn't. And maybe this method of asking a person out was overused.

There was nothing she could do about it now if she still wanted to ask Lovina to the dance.

Isabel waited for Marianne to pass by and for Julchen to station herself around the corner before they could act. It wasn't everyday someone's locker got broken into, after all.

Julchen whistled- the signal- and both Isabel and Marianne approached Lovina's locker door. Isabel stood watch while Marianne kneeled down and took a paperclip out of her pocket, bending it to the necessary shape before inserting it into the keyhole.

The corridor was silent besides the sound of distant voices and metal clinking. A few seconds later and a click was heard as Marianne swung the door open.

Honestly, Isabel was surprised. Nothing had gone wrong yet, which was (sadly) a characteristic of BFT operations. It wasn't that they were bad planners, it just seemed that something _always_ had to be happening with the BFT.

Shrugging it off as lady luck shining down on her that day, Isabel took a note out of her pocket- a pink one just to be glaringly obvious that it was unusual in the messy locker- and placed it on top of a pile of papers at the locker's bottom.

Just then Julchen gave a low whistle- people were coming.

"Marianne, we have to go- What are you doing?!" Marianne winced, caught red-handed with the note in her hand.

"I wanted to see what you wrote." "That's none of your business! Put it back- Julchen gave the signal!" "Just a-"

"Hey Lovina! How has your day been?" The two girls froze, eyes locking unto each other with the same thought- scramble.

"What? Why are you asking?" Marianne shoved the letter back on top of the pile and hurriedly closed the door, Isabel whisper scolding her to not be so loud. "Eh? Can't a girl ask?"

"Not when it's something suspicious like this." The frown could practically be heard in Lovina's voice as Isabel snatched the fallen paperclip and stuffed it into her pocket, scrambling to get up and pushing Marianne in the other direction. "Whoah there, I just think it's a bit important to get to know my future in-law."

"In-law?! Who said so, bastardo?" Marianne and Isabel were half-way down the corridor when Isabel slipped and fell- but was quickly caught by Marianne who tugged Isabel forward. "Hey, chill. No one said anything, I'm just guessing by how things are going."

"Well maybe you should use your brain more." Lovina huffed and walked past Julchen just as both Marianne and Isabel stumbled past the corner, almost colliding with the floor. "Hmm, maybe!" Julchen loudly replied before walking away.

Lovina turned her head back to give the Prussian an odd look but then rolled her eyes. Isabel and Marianne peeked out from the corner, watching as Lovina went to her locker and unlocked the code- luckily not noticing anything wrong.

Just then, Felicia pranced over.

"Wow Lovina, your locker sure is a mess." She commented and Lovina gave her a 'really' look.

"You aren't one to talk either." Lovina said and Felicia shrugged before watching her sister gather the big pile of paper at the bottom of her locker.

"Anyway, all this is leftover junk from teachers and stuff, so could you dump them in the recycling bin for me?" Felicia hummed before accepting the pile. "Sure."

Isabel could only gape and stare mournfully as the small pink paper- along with the big pile of _junk_ \- were carried away. She vaguely registers a comforting hand on her shoulder.

* * *

• **Operation B: Flower Power**

•Thursday, School Entrance

Isabel carried the bouquet of lilies in her arms like it was a baby- a fragile baby that the wind could blow over at any moment.

"Dude, you look really pale." Julchen said before she raised her hands at the unamused look Isabel shot her. "Hey man, not trying to be rude. I mean _I'm_ hella pale, I'm just saying."

Marianne sighed at Julchen's reasoning.

"Julchen, mon cher, just shut up." Julchen raised a brow at the French girl's remark before muttering to herself.

"Alright, I'm sorry guys, no need to be in a bad mood because of me, I'm sure it'll work out." Isabel sighed, giving both Marianne and Julchen apologetic looks.

"Apology accepted, but that was unnecessary." Julchen said, pointedly looking at Marianne.

"I'm sorry, I've been stressed for a while and I took it out on you." Marianne apologized and Julchen nodded.

Just then, Isabel saw a familiar figure.

"Hey, is that-?" Isabel had already walked over, a determined look on her face as she prepared to give the flowers to Lovina before she heard Louis speak.

"Lovina's allergic to pollen? That's a tough break." "Ve, it is pretty hard." "Why do you talk about it as if I'm not here? Flowers just smell like flowers anyway. They look pretty from a distance."

Isabel froze.

Julchen winced as she watched Isabel turn around and march towards the direction of the greenhouse.

"That didn't last at all." Marianne said sympathetically.

"Isabel?" Louis asked curiously, his Belgian accent coming out from the sight of Isabel potting a dozen lilies. "What are you doing?"

"Potting a few flowers." Isabel answered, wiping her forehead of sweat as she finally finished. "It's pretty, don't you think?" She asked as she turned towards the man.

Louis slowly nodded his head.

"They are.." He replied before looking straight at Isabel. "How do you feel about chocolate?" He asked.

"Chocolate?" Isabel blinked in surprise at the question. "Well I like it as well as most people do. Why?" She asked before her eyes caught sight of the newly potted lilies.

"Ah," She remembered. "I'm allergic to nuts, though."

* * *

 **•** **Operation C: Silver Strings**

•Friday, Music Class

Isabel took a deep breath and lightly strummed the guitar in her lap.

It was okay, today was only her last chance to ask Lovina out after all. Isabel released a shaky breath before concentrating on remembering the notes.

Today she would be doing her last ditch effort- a serenade. That's one of the most romantic things that could happen, right? This had a pretty high chance of working, yeah?

Isabel was the only person in class at the moment, seeing as she had come by early to try and ease her nerves and get accustomed with her guitar's strings for the event.

Strumming a couple more strings, Isabel decided to play a light tune and sing along with the lyrics.

The song only lasted a few minutes and the chirping of the birds mixed well with the room's serene atmosphere. That coupled with the soft music Isabel had just played made the room truly feel like a haven of sorts.

"That was a really nice song." Isabel was startled out of her thoughts and her head snapped up to see Lovina leaning by the door. Taking that as an invitation, Lovina walked over.

"What song is it?" She asked, taking a seat by Isabel. The girl blushed and gave a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"It was a song mi madre used to sing to put me to sleep. It's been so long since then." Isabel answered and Lovina nodded her head though both were silent.

This wasn't how Isabel had planned this to go with the BFT- but she couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Lovina, I-" The door swung open and the teacher walked in. When she realized there were two other people in the room she blinked in surprise.

"Vargas! Fernandez! You're both early." She remarked before taking notice of their position. "Oh, don't mind me. Continue whatever it was you two were doing." She said before walking towards her desk and riffling through some papers.

Isabel could have still asked after that. She could've.

But the moment had been broken and at the moment she just felt embarrassed.

-...-

Isabel sighed as she watched Marianne and Julchen go through racks of clothing, her demeanour clearly disappointed.

"Cheer up mon cher, we weren't the company you were expecting but better than going alone or not going at all, oui?" Marianne said, giving Isabel a look of concern before moving to another rack with longer dresses.

"Si, you have a point there." Isabel reluctantly agreed, absent-mindedly looking through warm colored clothing.

"Hey guys, what do you think of this one?" Julchen suddenly asked, holding a Prussian blue evening gown to her chest. Marianne tapped her chin in thought.

"It looks like it'd fit you." She decided and Julchen nodded before turning to Isabel. "Isa?" She asked.

Isabel squinted her eyes and thought about it carefully.

"I think you'd look great in it Julchen!" Isabel said and Julchen gave another nod before walking into the nearest dressing room.

The two other girls were left to look for their own dresses and Isabel slowly drifted away from Marianne's location, her eyes dragging over all the colors in the racks just as her hand was. Before she noticed it, another entity had appeared on the racks and she hadn't realized she'd gotten to the green dresses of the shop.

Isabel's eyes slowly traveled up the odd colored entity before finding Lovina's face and her heart jolted in shock.

Of course, so the olive arm was hers, go figure!

Isabel immediately blushed, redder than the one Lovina had on right now, and started stumbling over her own words.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to stare- sorry! I mean- Gosh, what are _you_ doing here?" Isabel asked as if it was the strangest thing in the world. Lovina raised a brow at that.

"I'm helping Feli shop. How about you? Looking for a dress?" Lovina asked and Isabel opened her mouth a few times before finally closing it and deciding to mutely nod her head.

There was an awkward silence in the air before Isabel sighed and shook her head. It was Friday and the dance was on Monday, what was the worst that could happen at this point?

"Lovina, I've been trying to ask you all week to do this. But will you go to the dance with me?" Isabel finally asked, giving Lovina a hopeful expression.

Lovina's eyes widened with surprise before she smiled and started laughing, leaving Isabel to stare and watch her adorably laugh.

"I've been trying to do-" She started before she shut up and red flooded her cheeks, causing her to look away embarrassed.

Isabel stared at Lovina's steadily reddening face before laughing herself, bringing Lovina into a hug.

"Well I'm glad I was finally able to ask you. You're the best company I could possibly have there." Isabel said and Lovina smiled, lightly hugging the Spaniard back.

"And when it gets too loud and its much too hot?" Lovina challenged, pulling away from the other girl to see her grin.

"Then I'll whisk you away and we'll dance under the starlight." Isabel answered, humming as she slipped her hands into Lovina's and twirled her around.

From a distance, 2/3 of the BFT were watching the interaction with their phones out.

"Nerds." "I know, right?"


End file.
